1. Technical Field
The following description relates to a liquid crystal display device and method, and more particularly, to an array substrate for a liquid crystal display device having a narrow bezel by reducing a non-display area at right and left sides and method of manufacturing the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Recently, as liquid crystal display (LCD) devices become increasingly lighter in weight and thinner, and require lower power consumption, LCD devices have been widely used as a substitute for cathode-ray tube type display devices.
As an LCD device that includes a thin film transistor (TFT) as a switching element, i.e., an “active matrix LCD (AM-LCD)” device, has desirable characteristics of high resolution and displaying moving images, the AM-LCD device has been widely used.
Generally, a fabricating process of the LCD device includes an array-substrate process for forming a TFT and a pixel electrode, a color-filter-substrate process for forming a color filter and a common electrode, and a cell process for forming a liquid crystal layer between an array substrate and a color filter substrate.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the related art liquid crystal panel. As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid crystal panel includes an array substrate 10, a color filter substrate 20, and a liquid crystal layer 30. The array substrate 10 and the color filter substrate 20 face each other, and the liquid crystal layer 30 is interposed therebetween.
The array substrate 10 includes a first substrate 12, a gate line 14, a data line 16, a thin film transistor (TFT) Tr, and a pixel electrode 18. The gate line 14 and data line 16 are formed on the first substrate 12 and cross each other to define a pixel region P. The TFT Tr is formed at a crossing portion of the gate line 14 and data line 16. The pixel electrode 18 is formed in the pixel region P and connected to the TFT Tr.
The color filter substrate 20 includes a second substrate 22, a black matrix 25, a color filter layer 26, and a common electrode 28. The black matrix 25 is formed on the second substrate 22 and has a lattice shape. The black matrix 25 corresponds to a non-display region of the first substrate 12. The non-display region of the first substrate 12 includes the gate line 14 and data line 16 and the TFT Tr. The color filter layer 26 corresponds to the pixel region P and includes red R, green G, and blue B color filter patterns 26a, 26b, and 26c. The common electrode 28 is formed on the black matrix 25 and the color filter layer 26. The common electrode 28 generates an electric field with the pixel electrode 18 such that the liquid crystal layer 30 is driven by the electric field.
A seal pattern (not shown) is formed along edges of the first and second substrates 12 and 22. The seal pattern prevents the liquid crystal layer 30 from overflowing. In addition, first and second alignment layers (not shown) may be formed between the first substrate 12 and the liquid crystal layer 30 and between the second substrate 22 and the liquid crystal layer 30. A polarization plate (not shown) may be formed on an outer surface of one of the first and second substrates 12 and 22. A backlight unit (not shown) is disposed under the first substrate 12 to supply light into the liquid crystal panel.
A driving unit (not shown) for driving a pixel is formed on the first substrate 10. The driving unit is installed on a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB may be classified into a gate PCB connected to a gate pad (not shown) at one end of the gate line 14 and a data PCB connected to a data pad (not shown) at one end of the data line 16.
For example, as shown in FIG. 2, which is a plan view of the related art LCD device 1 with a printed circuit board (PCB), first and second non-display areas NA1, NA2 (opposite to each other) and third and fourth non-display areas NA3, NA4 (opposite to each other) are defined at outer sides of the display area DA.
The data PCB 50 is installed at one of the first and second non-display areas NA1, NA2. FIG. 2 shows the data PCB 50 at the first non-display area NA1. The PCB 50 is connected to the data pad via a plurality of data flexible printed circuits (FPCs) 62. A plurality of gate FPCs 61 including a driving integrated circuit (IC) 71 are installed at one of the third and fourth non-display areas NA3, NA4 without a gate PCB. The FPC 61 is connected to the gate pad at one end of the gate line 14 (FIG. 1).
The LCD device 1 having the above structure is widely used for various applications such as TVs, monitors, note-book computers, mobile phones and PDAs.
On the other hand, a desire for a narrow bezel having light weight and slimness has increased. Accordingly, development of an LCD device having a narrow bezel, for example, by reducing a width of the third and fourth non-display areas NA3, NA4 is desired.